Malaria

Rare card · No. 17985

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that is transmitted by the bite of Anopheles mosquitoes. The symptoms of human malaria typically include fever, fatigue, vomiting and headaches. In severe cases, the disease can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. Symptoms usually begin 10 to 15 days after being bitten by an infected Anopheles mosquito. Those who survive an infection may develop partial immunity, being susceptible to reinfection although with milder symptoms. This partial resistance disappears over months to years if the person has no continuing exposure to malaria. Malaria is caused by single-celled parasites of the genus Plasmodium, generally spread through the bites of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. The mosquito bite introduces the parasites from the mosquito's saliva into the blood. The parasites initially reproduce and mature in the liver without causing symptoms. After a few days the mature parasites spread into the bloodstream, where they infect and destroy...

Read on Wikipedia · Image NIAID, CC BY 2.0